04 27 2021 MinutesVIRTUAL YELM CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2021 MINUTES
1. Mayor JW Foster called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.
Roll Call Present: Molly Carmody, EJ Curry, Tracey Wood, Joe DePinto and Terry
Kaminski. Absent: James Blair
21-048 MOTION BY MOLLY CARMODY EXCUSING JAMES BLAIR FROM THE
MEETING. SECONDED BY TERRY KAMINSKI. 5-0, MOTION CARRIED.
2. Agenda Approval
21-049 MOTION BY TRACEY WOOD APPROVING THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
SECONDED BY EJ CURRY. 5-0, MOTION CARRIED.
3. Special Presentations —
March 2021 Student of the Month — Joseph Harrison (moved to May 11, 2021)
Bicycle Commuter Month Proclamation
4. Public Comment — no comments
5. Consent Agenda -
a. April 6 & April 13, 2021 Minutes
b. March 2021 Financials $849,977.50
c. Yelm City Park Community Event Approval Per YMC 9.68.080
National Day of Prayer — May 6, 2021
Nisqually Valley BBQ Rally — July 24, 2021
Jazz in the Park — August 6 & 7, 2021
21-050 MOTION BY EJ CURRY APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA. SECONDED BY
MOLLY CARMODY. 5-0, MOTION CARRIED.
6. New Business —
a. Resolution No. 614, National Fitness Campaign
21-051 MOTION BY TRACEY WOOD APPROVING RESOLUTION NO. 614, TO ADOPT
AND ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR AN OUTDOOR FITNESS COURT AS A PART OF
THE 2021 NATIONAL FITNESS CAMPAIGN. SECONDED BY JOE DEPINTO.
5-0, MOTION CARRIED.
7. Old Business — None scheduled
8. UPDATES —
City Administrator — Michael Grayum —
Legislative Update: A bundle of funding has been approved for recreational
projects and low interest loans that will benefit the Water Reclamation
Facility (WRF) Upgrades. The Capital Budget includes the City of Yelm's
request for a Class A Biosolids Dryer for the WRF that will reduce the total
construction costs for the WRF Upgrade by $805,000. The Transportation
Budget maintains the funding to complete Phase 2 of the SR 510/Yelm
Loop, totaling $58,500,000 over the course of 2019-2027. The Legislature
also appropriated funds for the I5 portion that crosses the Nisqually River
April 27, 2021
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Delta. We just received an update today from our Congressional Delegation
on the Community Project Funding (CPF) to make an ask of our
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland to buy land for the Habitat
Conservation Plan using federal dollars. Thank you to community partners
for writing letter of support for this ask. The compelling case will be made
to the Appropriations Committee and then we wait until Congress takes
action at the end of the year.
A Finance Director has been selected with the help of Finance Committee
member Councilmember Carmody. Stephanie Dice starts May 10th and we
are excited. The Finance Committee will get a full debrief on the work the
CPA firm has done soon.
The Boards and Commissions need help getting the word out for volunteers
to fill these committees.
Chief Stancil has done a great job with the Thurston County Disaster
Recovery Council.
Chief Todd Stancil reported on the theft at Longmire Park. The video was
shared on social media and the response was huge. The post was seen by over
110,000 people and shared over 1,500 times in 24 hours. As a result, the
suspect vehicle was located this morning at a residence just outside of Yelm.
Yelm Police are still looking for the driver and the products that were stolen.
Hopefully the products will be returned to the Nisqually Basin Little League
soon.
• Two hybrid police vehicles have arrived and are being outfitted with
decals and police equipment.
The Police Department will do a presentation at the Yelm Chamber
Forum May 11th to discuss crime and business crime prevention in our
local community.
Emergency Management is working on Cascadia Rising in June of 2022.
In 2016, the Cascadia Rising focused on the event as it happened. The
June 2022 event will focus on recovery and transportation impacts.
• The Spring Executive Emergency Management Seminar virtual event
took place last night. This event was directed toward elected and
appointed officials there were over 70 participants. There was an
Emergency Management 101 presentation.
Chief Stancil has been working on an Interlocal Agreement that would
establish a Thurston County Disaster Recover Committee for over a
year. This will come before Council on May 25, 2021.
• The Earthquake warning system is scheduled to go live on May 4th
More information on how to sign up will be shared on social media.
Councilmember Carmody attended the Yelm Public Works Committee meeting,
Thurston County Law and Justice Council meeting and the Intercity Transit
Authority meeting. Intercity Transit will hold a public hearing on May 19, 2021 on
Transportation Improvement Projects.
Councilmember Curry attended the Southeast Thurston Fire Authority meeting
and the Yelm Senior Center meeting. The Yelm Senior Center received a large
donation from a National Insurance Company.
Councilmember Wood attended the Administrative Board of Directors for
Transportation Regional Planning Council meeting.
April 27, 2021
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Councilmember DePinto attended the Yelm Public Works Committee meeting.
Councilmember DePinto stated the approved Capital Budget for the Class A
Biosolids Dryer would be a huge help for ratepayers in Yelm. The Lake Lawrence
Fire Station was also approved in the Capital Budget.
Councilmember Kaminski is excited to attend in person Council meetings.
Councilmember Kaminski attended the Nisqually River Council meeting and
reported that legislation has been signed to honor tribal leader Billy Franks Jr. as
a national resources and civil rights champion and a statue will be put in the
National Statutory Hall in Washington D.C.
Mayor JW Foster attended two briefings from the Department of Health (DOH)
and the State Transportation Commission. The upcoming Community Events will
have to follow the guidelines from the DOH and have a written guiding document
demonstrating how they plan to keep their events safe for the community.
Highlights from the Transportation Seminar is that Washington is spending on
building roads and bridges but not enough on preservation of that infrastructure.
The state is looking at new ways to fund the Transportation Projects that includes
the I5 improvements that are direly needed. There was a briefing from the Puget
Sound Regional Council who did a commercial air capacity study. SeaTac Airport
and Paine field are not able to handle the expected demand going forward.
Another commercial airport is needed along with an additional three runways to
meet the expected demand by 2050. Mayor Foster encouraged everyone to go to
Yelm City Park and look at the butterfly garden put in by the Girl Scout Troop and
the Public Works department and community garden that has been created
recently. Stephanie Dice has been hired as the new Finance Director and starts
May 101h. She will attend a Council meeting so everyone can meet her.
9. Executive Session - None scheduled
21-052 MOTION BY JOE DEPINTO TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. SECONDED BY EJ
CURRY. 5-0, MOTION CARRIED.
10. Adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
,\� - k( cl,�, Attest: &2��Z&Q2
JW iF,6st r, Mayos Lori Lucas, City Clerk
These minutes record the official actions of the Yelm City Council. Complete recordings are
available on the city website at www.yelmwa.gov.
April 27, 2021
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